he biggest difference between racing conducted by the JRA and Racing by Local Governments is that JRA Ban-ei (Draft Racing) returns a percentage of its revenue to the national treasury, Ban-ei racing is a unique kind of racing that is held only in whereas Racing by Local Governments contributes to the Hokkaido by local government racing. It consists of draft finances of the individual local government. Also, the weighing from 800 to 1,200 kg competing by pulling majority of race meetings by local governments is conducted a sled with a jockey and a prescribed heavy load over a 200- on weekdays during the day. The National Association for meter dirt track that has two humps along the course. Racing (NAR) oversees the 16 racing organizers throughout the country.

ll races held by NAR are flat races on dirt surface, with the exception of Ban-ei ( Racing) at Obihiro Racecourse and turf races held at Morioka Racecourse – the only racecourse in local government racing with a turf surface. History In 2012, there were a total of 1,220 racing days, with The origin of draft dates back to Hokkaido’s 13,396 races held by local governments at the 16 racecourses. pioneer days, when contests of strength between horses used A total of 133,500 horses ran, with an average of 10.5 races to transport lumber were held for celebrations and festivals. per horse, in 2012. Dosanko (Hokkaido breds) and other plow horse breeds Jump racing and , which had been run in the native to Japan were used at the time. Belgian, Breton and past, are currently not conducted due to declining numbers lineage horses were then used after their of available horses and jockeys. subsequent introduction from Europe. Today, cross breeds between these three varieties, called “half breeds,” or with Number of Race Days and Flat Races native breeds are predominate, while purebreds are on the

25,000 decline. The organized racing system was inaugurated by the 23,250 No.of flat races racing authorities in 1946 and has continued to the present.

No. of racing days 20,000 17,951

14,292 14,249 14,243 15,000 13,664 13,396

10,000

5,000 2,279 1,676 1,324 1,314 1,315 1,244 1,220 ©NAR

0 1991 2003 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

21 | Racing Calendar Prize Money (purse)

ace meetings can last up to six days for racing imilar to JRA racing, prize money is generally allocated to conducted by government-designated prefectures and the owners of the first five finishers in NAR racing. municipalities. A total of 1,374 meetings were held in 2012 However, there is a huge disparity between the purses in NAR. offered by different organizers. The highest purses are paid in thoroughbred races, and the largest first-place purse is ¥80 NAR racing is conducted mainly on weekdays. There million for the JBC Classic. The total prize money in Racing are differences in the schedules of racecourses in the by Local Governments in 2012 was ¥14.8 billion. metropolitan areas of Kanto, Tokai, Kansai and Hokkaido, and those of racecourses in other regions. Racecourses in The system for distributing prize money to trainers, jockeys major urban areas and Hokkaido hold their races on and grooms are similar to that of JRA racing. weekdays in order to avoid competition with JRA. On the other hand, in regions that are largely unaffected by JRA International Relations meetings, racing is primarily held on Saturdays and Sundays, when it is easier to attract local fans. AR first held its international invitation race in 1978, and ever since, it has been active in inviting jockeys from JBC races and other racing series overseas to take part in their racing. The international Based on the model of the BC (Breeders’ Cup) in America invitation races known as the “Ladies Cup” was held for four and created from an initiative by breeders, the first JBC consecutive years in the 1980’s, with female jockeys from (Japan Breeding Farms’ Cup) races were held at Ohi Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan competing with one Racecourse in 2001. It consists of three races – the JBC another. During the five-year period from 1989 to 1993, Classic, Sprint and Ladies’ Classic. As total prize money, the NAR conducted the “International Queen Jockey Series,” in Classic offers ¥120 million, the highest amount in racing by which Japanese female jockeys rode together with female local governments, while the Sprint offers ¥90 million and jockeys invited from the USA, Canada, Britain, France, the Ladies’ Classic ¥61.5 million, an unprecedented sum for Australia and New Zealand, as part of an international racing by local governments. friendly among female jockeys. From 1982 to 1997, Niigata Racecourse was the host to the “Japan-Korea Challenge Cup” Racing by local governments holds several different races, in which jockeys from the two nations were invited to “Derby” races for three-year-olds on the local circuit. The race in each other’s racecourse. interest in these Derby races were relatively low, partly because the prize money is lower compared to that of JRA’s In 1995, Ohi Racecourse formed a friendly relationship Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and nationwide recognition with Santa Anita Park in the USA, inviting jockeys from the was low. Therefore, in order to raise awareness and interest, California circuit to ride in Japan. The friendly jockey series the six districts which held these separate Derby races lasted for several years, and for the first time in 2011, the collaborated and adjusted the racing calendar so that the Tokyo Metropolitan Racing Association held the “Santa Derby races are held over a continuous 6-day period at six Anita Trophy” race as the international invitational race at different racecourses. Since 2007, this event has been tagged Ohi Racecourse to commemorate 25 years of night racing. In “Derby Week Series” to raise its profile and NAR has taken 2013, Tokyo City Keiba (Ohi Racecourse) and the Korean measures to expand nationwide off-track sales. Racing Authority initiated the first-ever “Japan-Korea international invitational race,” inviting each organization’s Also, NAR also conducts a series of races for fillies and horses to run in Ohi Racecourse and Seoul Racecourse, mares, named “GRANDAME-JAPAN.” The most respectively. The two-race series was first held at Seoul outstanding fillies/mares are selected from each age group Racecourse in August, with three Japanese runners. and they compete over a period of time, vying for the top spot – and incentive money – in their respective groups. Another series of races in the local circuit is the “Super Sprint Series,” which began in 2011. It is a number of sprint races run over a track with only one bend.

22 | HORSE RACING IN JAPAN 2013